Iraq (Exports)

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 3:55 pm on 3 December 1990.

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Mr. Ted Garrett (Walsend):

I must declare two interests. First, I am a member of the Amalgamated Engineering Union and, secondly, since 1968, I have advised the Machine Tool Technologies Association. Many members of my union worked on the machines that are now in Iraq and they would deeply resent any imputation that they were guilty of helping Iraq to protect—[Interruption.] Let me have my say.

It is wrong to pillory the management of the machine tool industry—men who have served their apprenticeships, gone through the ranks and worked to produce exports for the industry and for the country—to the extent that the Minister alleges that they might face charges in court. The Minister should state clearly that it is a tale of confusion between the Department of Trade and Industry, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Customs and Excise. None of them has got its act together, and that is why the article appeared in the "Insight" column of The Sunday Times. It is wrong for there to be public recrimination on an issue which the Government should admit would not have come forward had there been co-ordination in their activities and information to the machine tool industry.